Weird Border crossing~~~at least for me( kind long)

This is a discussion on Weird Border crossing~~~at least for me( kind long) within the Law Enforcement, Military & Homeland Security Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; We went to Niagara Falls, Ontario yesterday (Canadian side) to a gathering of HVAC forum professionals. You know? one of those things where you have ...

Weird Border crossing~~~at least for me( kind long)

We went to Niagara Falls, Ontario yesterday (Canadian side) to a gathering of HVAC forum professionals. You know? one of those things where you have been talking to people on the internet for years and we finally decided to meet face to face. It was a great time. But getting there was 'different'

We have been to the Canadian boarder MANY times at many different points, on Motorcycle, Car and by boat and we have NEVER had an issue.

So this time we get to the booth and we get the usual questions:

Whats your purpose of coming to Canada today?
Do you have any Tobacco?
Do you have any Alcohol
Do you have any firearms
Are you carrying any narcotics
--------------------------------- all of these questions are expected, the next few minutes got kind of interesting? The boarder guard goes fishing

BG (Boarder Guard):How many hand guns do you have on you today?
me: uuum none?
BG: How many firearms do you own?
ME: I own several Long guns and several hand guns
BG: which ones do you have today
Me: I all ready told you, none
BG: Which firearms do you own?
Me: Which ones are you interested in, Hand guns or long guns
annoyed BG: which firearms do you own
ME (time to mess with the moron) Lets see, there is the Winchester, Mossberg,Marlin, S&W, Glock,Para-Ordnance,Rugar....ooh I'm sorry, did you want the calibers to??
BG: Do you carry a hand gun on a daily basis
ME: yes, when in NYS, I have a permit to carry a concealed hand gun
BG: Which hand gun do you have today
Me(now I'm annoyed): Look pal, asked and answered. As a LAW ABIDING (said rather loudly)American citizen I have a 2A right to carry a hand gun IN MY COUNTRY(loud again),The state of NY has given me a permit to carry IN MY STATE (loud). I really like Canada and the hospitality of your citizens, but it's AGAINST CANADIAN LAW(loud again) for a foreigner to bring a firearm to Canada and I would rather NOT spend the next 5 years of my life as a guest of your penal system. ok
BG: Stairs at me rather intently and I stair right back at him He finally says, Thank you, Have a nice day

***********************************************

I though for sure he was going to have me pull over for one of there searches but I think my forceful response to his queries may have proved to him I was following the rules.

Then of course 'da boss' read me the riot act: Are you nuts, your messing with the boarder guards, we could have been here for the rest of the night, you idiot.

On the way back we pull up to the American Boarder Guard (ABG) booth. The guy says

ABG: How are you tonight
ME as I hand him our passports: Great hows it going, looks like things have slowed down a little (the place was empty, only about 5 cars coming back to America)
ABG: Ya we were swamped earlier, what was your purpose of going to Canada
Me: a Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning convention.
ABG: Do you have more than $10,000 in cash
ME I don't have that much in a bank account
ABG smiling: Thank you, Have a nice evening, drive safe
ME: Thanks, Have a nice boring evening
ABG, starts laughing: thanx

and we were on our way

sheesh, when was the last time the Canadian Boarder guards gave anyone a hard time??

Sadly the quality of our border guards vary a lot. They would hire summer students who grow up in a education system that derides the US and it's citizens, hence they think they are there to "protect us" from the evil Americans. So please accept "We are sorry" from a Canadian shooter.

On the plus side our Conservative government has ordered our border guards to be armed (Berretta PX4) and as a requirement to do so get their Firearm licence (PAL) This will expose a lot of the Border Guards to how silly our laws are and hopefully some sense will begin to seep in.

Now if we could only fix your State department who makes it difficult for Brownwels to ship grip screws for a Sig to Canada (In an effort to save you from terrorists) then we could all be happy. Funny I can legally bring 5,000rds back to Canada, but if I buy it without all the paperwork your Homeland Security will throw me in jail and seize my car. About the only thing I can safely bring back from the US is Holsters and grips.

No way I would have answered the questions that were obviously irrelevant to your visit to canada. What you own or carry at home is none of their business and no good could come of a dialog about them.

I wonder if they would oblige you if you requested a supervisor in a situation like that. If the bunch of them are like that, it sure won't help you. But if he's a solo act, and this jerk has some kind of anti-American agenda, his supervisor might want to know about it. A snap on his leash might save the next guy the hassle.

Great, and you will learn how far down that they can tear your car apart and open all of your belongings...YOU put it back together.

ya, thats what I was getting worried about, thats why I got a little forceful with him.

The guy must have thought we are a bunch of gun totting rednecks and he was trying to trap me into saying something stupid.

I have no problem with the boarder guys doing there job and trying to protect there homeland, heck they ARE the first line of defense, but if they are going to go fishing, they better get someone a little less obvious

Sadly the quality of our border guards vary a lot. They would hire summer students who grow up in a education system that derides the US and it's citizens, hence they think they are there to "protect us" from the evil Americans. So please accept "We are sorry" from a Canadian shooter.

On the plus side our Conservative government has ordered our border guards to be armed (Berretta PX4) and as a requirement to do so get their Firearm licence (PAL) This will expose a lot of the Border Guards to how silly our laws are and hopefully some sense will begin to seep in.

Now if we could only fix your State department who makes it difficult for Brownwels to ship grip screws for a Sig to Canada (In an effort to save you from terrorists) then we could all be happy. Funny I can legally bring 5,000rds back to Canada, but if I buy it without all the paperwork your Homeland Security will throw me in jail and seize my car. About the only thing I can safely bring back from the US is Holsters and grips.

Hey, no need to apologize, I understand they are doing a tough job. Like I said, we have been crossing the boarder in various places for years.

This is the first time we had ONE GUY obviously trying to trap us, why? i got no clue.

Generally speaking, when we go to Canada I'm more worried about getting back than anything else. it's usually our guys that can be "picky"

Hmmm. Though it has been many years since I last entered Canada, sometime in the mid 90s I think, I have never experienced anything but the utmost of courtesy, congeniality, and a welcoming attitude.

I wish I could say the same for re-entering the US.

I guess it depends on who you get and what mood they are in.

Did you do anything at all to indicate to the guard that you were a gun guy?
Did you show him a CWP with your DL? Do you have lots of decals on your vehicle?

When I do international travel I leave my CHL at home. There is one country that asks on their visa application if you have had any gun training whatsoever. I don't tell, and they don't have a reason to look further. I leave my CHL at home and that is that.

No decals, no emblems, no curios with gun shaped "thingies."

Just to switch a bit, the only place I ever was threatened with being shot was in Ontario. Stupid kids pulled up next to my car and yelled, "wer're going to shoot you." Then they sped off.

Hmmm. Though it has been many years since I last entered Canada, sometime in the mid 90s I think, I have never experienced anything but the utmost of courtesy, congeniality, and a welcoming attitude.

I wish I could say the same for re-entering the US.

I guess it depends on who you get and what mood they are in.

Did you do anything at all to indicate to the guard that you were a gun guy?
Did you show him a CWP with your DL? Do you have lots of decals on your vehicle?

When I do international travel I leave my CHL at home. There is one country that asks on their visa application if you have had any gun training whatsoever. I don't tell, and they don't have a reason to look further. I leave my CHL at home and that is that.

No decals, no emblems, no curios with gun shaped "thingies."

Just to switch a bit, the only place I ever was threatened with being shot was in Ontario. Stupid kids pulled up next to my car and yelled, "wer're going to shoot you." Then they sped off.

Nope, I did give him any indication that I was a gun guy, we were in da boss's Subaru and there is nothing on there to indicate we are members of the NRA or anything else.

He just started asking 'gun' questions? I think the guy was just fishing.

The best way to get into Canada is to go by Boat, we use to cross Lake Ontario on a regular basis. We have been to Toronto, Cobourg, Kingston, Alexandria Bay and a bunch of other places and all we had to do was call the "Can-Am pass" and they had all the information about us in the computer. It was really a joke.

I do remember a couple of years ago we crossed at the Lewiston St bridge on the bike, and the Boarder guard was a smoking hot babe, she could have asked me anything and I would have said yes just to get frisked by her LOL

Had a similar experience.

Back in the '90s, I lived in Anchorage, and traveled back and forth on the Alcan Highway almost every summer to see family. At that time, long guns in Canada were no big deal, and as I was camping, I usually had a rifle and a shotgun at the least.

Dad came to Anchorage one summer to make the trip south, and the bed of my truck was really packed with all the gear and stuff I wanted for the next few weeks. When we got the the border crossing into the Yukon, the border guard went through the usual questions, then asked, "do you have any guns?"

Me: "Yes, two rifles and a shotgun."

BG: "Where are they?"

Me: "Unloaded in a case in the back."

BG: "Do you have any handguns?"

Me: "No."

BG: "Do you own any handguns?"

Me: "Yes, several."

BG: "Where are they?"

Me: "I shipped them ahead to Washington."

BG: "Can you do that?"

Me: "Yes."

BG: "Do you have proof that you don't have them?"

(OK, at this point I'm getting tired of the questions. I want to make some smartalek comment about carrying proof that I don't have my TV, my dishes, my favorite recliner, etc. But, I behave myself.)

Me: I might have a receipt from FedEx somewhere in the back.

Anyway, she told me to park and threatened to search the truck. I invited her to go ahead, and after a few minutes we were on our way.

Now, contrast this with the return trip, going into Canada from NE Washington (forget the crossing name). This is a very small crossing that isn't even open all night. I get there and there is a border guard that looks like he might still be in high school. He goes through the usual set of questions, then asks if I have any guns.

"Yes, two rifles and a shotgun."

His eyes got real big, and he stepped back a bit, and seemed to get excited. He asked if they were loaded, and when I said no he said he wanted to inspect them.

I dug the cases out of the back, and opened them for him. He just stood there looking for a minute and said, "nice guns!" And I was on my way!

I understand now that long guns have to be sealed so you can't load them while in Canada, but I haven't been back for years.

I got asked if I owned any guns when crossing Rainbow Bridge into Canada. I replied I did. Then was asked did I have any with me and I had to say no. The guard actually said if I did they would hold them. I don't think I believe that and wouldn't want to risk it. Time at checkpoint was less than 5 minutes coming and going.

I got asked if I owned any guns when crossing Rainbow Bridge into Canada. I replied I did. Then was asked did I have any with me and I had to say no. The guard actually said if I did they would hold them. I don't think I believe that and wouldn't want to risk it. Time at checkpoint was less than 5 minutes coming and going.

Back in the '80's when I was stationed with the railroad police at Buffalo, New York, I received a call at our office. It seems one of our Deputy Chiefs out of Virginia had been traveling on vacation and was now at the Canadian Border trying to cross into Canada at the Peace Bridge downtown. Unfortunately, he was carrying his S&W Chiefs Special with him. Fortunately, the Canadian Border Guard agreed to hold his weapon until I could come to the border and pick it up. The Chief and his wife were allowed to continue on their way without any delay. As I then had to mail his weapon back to Virginia, I'm sure he heard about the incident when he got back home and had a hard time living it down.